Page 82 - Kindness - No Forward

Let People Know When You See Their Greatness

There’s greatness in you, and me, and everyone you meet.

Their greatness may be in the form of kindness, beauty, humor, wisdom, or
dignity. Not necessarily great acts or accumulated wealth. When we see
that greatness, let the other person know it!

Go home tonight and tell a child…any child…that there is greatness in
them.

Affirm these children every day.

And then treat your employees like they were children.

One of the most meaningful moments of my life occurred years ago when I
took my oldest son, Ted, to college for the first time.

My sons have been my best friends and now one of these friends was
embarking on a new life. It was one of those magnificent moments in a
father’s life, a time when the dreams of a child become clearly etched on
the face of a young man.

I wanted to pay Ted the highest tribute that I could. Seeing the greatness in
him, his warmth, his sense of humor, his values, I told him that most
parents have sons who want to be like the Dad.

In my case, I am a Dad who wants to be like his sons.

A recent study at an Ivy League school indicated that 90% of all teaching
was centered on “how too” knowledge and 10% dealt with attitudes. And
that 10% was usually found through extracurricular activities like band, fine
arts, athletics, and so forth.

Another study asked businesspersons to rate the importance of an
employee’s “how to” skills as opposed to the attitude of the employee.
Attitude received a 90% rating to importance, “how to” skills came in at
10%

Is something amiss here?

Maybe it’s time that we let others know that we see what is inside them.
That we see, and celebrate, the capacity for greatness inside.